20 Science-Backed Things Managers Do to Improve Employee Engagement

One of the best ways to measure management effectiveness is a manager's ability to engage their employees.   

Based upon surveying over 500,000 employees across over 5,000 companies each year, we know that engaged employees are 18% more productive, are 51% less likely to quit and create 12% higher customer satisfaction levels.

Yet, many leaders underappreciate the importance of creating a clear business strategy, an aligned organizational culture and smart talent strategy that drives higher employee engagement. This becomes even more important as managers and their employees are being asked to do more with less. 

According to McKinsey & Co, nearly 70% of senior executives are only "somewhat" or "not at all satisfied" with the performance of their companies' frontline managers. And a stunning 81% of frontline managers are not satisfied with their own performance.  

To ensure that your frontline managers are creating highly engaged employees, make sure that they consistently:

1. Make it easy for employees to share opinions openly without fear of reprisal.
2. Acknowledge when employees do a good job on a task or project.
3. Discuss career opportunities within the company.
4. Communicate what is expected and establish open and honest communication between employees and managers. 
5. Address performance issues effectively and fairly. 
6. Share important information clearly and quickly.
7. Explain the reasons behind decisions they make. 
8. Provide the support required for people to do their job well. 
9. Have the expertise and ability to help their team succeed. 
10. Are accessible and responsive to ideas, requests, and suggestions. 
11. Coach and mentor effectively. 
12. Concern themselves about the well-being of their team. 
13. Lead by example. 
14. Explain how future organizational plans affect them and their team. 
15. Manage disagreements professionally. 
16. Measure performance fairly. 
17. Recognize the importance of personal and family life. 
18. Treat everyone fairly. 
19. Care about people's development. 

Give constructive feedback about job performance. 

Read the Top10 Most Powerful Ways to Boost Employee Engagement

About LSA Global
Founded in 1995, LSA Global is a leading performance consulting and training firm that helps high growth technology, services, and life-science companies create a competitive advantage by powerfully aligning their culture and talent with their strategy. Learn more about getting aligned